You can use "a" in the sentence.
You have to say, "he took leave" (and *NOT* "he took a leave.")
However, when there is a modifier (an adjective, or an adjectival phrase), modern English allows (and indeed sometimes prefers) use of the indefinite article.
Therefore, I would say: 'he took leave,' but 'he took a sick leave' and 'he took a leave of absence.'
Nevertheless, in a longer sentence, you can very well say "three weeks after he took sick leave, he returned to work," or "In 1942, he took leave of absence to establish a US Office of War Information in London."
Unfortunately, in many instances, as a native speaker of English I can "tell" when to use or not to use an article, but I can't always explain why...
Hope this was helpful nonetheless.